Aston Villa take on Birmingham City in the Championship this weekend.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has told the club’s official website that the club cannot be obsessed with Birmingham City – as their true obsession is automatic promotion.
Villa claimed an impressive 3-0 win over Derby County before the international break, leaving them just four points off the play-off places.
New manager Smith has so far impressed since replacing Steve Bruce in October, claiming three wins in five games, and he faces a huge test this weekend.
Villa host bitter rivals Birmingham at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon, a game with always means a lot to everybody at both clubs, but especially Smith as he leads his boyhood club into his first second city derby.
Villa will be hoping to claim bragging rights over the Blues once again, having beaten them 2-0 at Villa Park in their last meeting back in February.
Now, Smith has looked ahead to Sunday’s game, and suggested that Villa can’t be obsessed with just beating their biggest rivals, as their real obsession is to get automatic promotion this term.
Villa currently sit seven points off the automatic promotion spots, meaning it isn’t beyond all realms of possibility, and Smith will be working hard to make Villa’s ‘obsession’ a reality.
“We can’t be obsessed with beating Birmingham City, we have to be obsessed with winning every game,” said Smith. “Our obsession is making the top two this season, and if we can’t do that, the top six,” he added.
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